New school leader: Watts prepares for top job in Kent

When Calvin Watts takes over as superintendent of the Kent School District in July, it will be a homecoming of sorts for the Seattle-area native.

“I feel like an organically grown product,” he said.

Watts grew up in Bellevue and lived in Tukwila in the early 1990s after taking his first teaching job at South Shore Middle School, which is now Aki Kurose Middle School in Seattle.

He has friends and family in the Kent area including his father, who lives in Maple Valley.

“He actually lives in the attendance zone of the district where I (will) serve,” he said.

Watts said he is looking forward to returning to the area with his wife, Robbye, and 12-year-old son, Devin, after spending the last 21 years in Georgia, working in various roles in public education, including most recently as an assistant superintendent of Gwinnett County Public Schools in Suwanee, Ga.

“My wife and son and I look forward to truly becoming active members of the community and really becoming rooted in Kent,” he said.

When he learned of the job in Kent, Watts said he knew it was the right place to continue his career.

The Kent School Board hired Watts in March after a nationwide search to replace Edward Lee Vargas, who was superintendent for six years until leaving the post in October to accept a job as executive vice president of AVID, a national nonprofit college readiness program in California.

Tony Apostle, a retired Puyallup School District superintendent who has been serving as interim superintendent since Vargas’ departure, will continue in the district’s top post and help Watts transition into the position.

The board approved a three-year contract for Watts on April 22, under which he will be paid $250,000 a year plus benefits, including an $850 monthly transportation stipend.

“As I researched the demographics, the student achievement, the innovative programs, the strong leadership from boardroom to classroom, it virtually mirrored my current role and professional roles and responsibilities in the district where I currently serve,” he said. “I felt that Kent was a perfect fit for my talents, skills and abilities and the gifts that Kent offered fits my needs as well. … I can’t say enough how excited I am to be appointed as the new superintendent in Kent.”

Watts has a family history steeped in public education. His mother started her career as a school nurse in Seattle, his grandfather was an elementary school principal and his aunt is an administrator in Seattle Public Schools.

“Why did I want to be a teacher is the same answer as why I wanted to be an administrator and why I wanted to serve as a superintendent: To have the opportunity to truly work with wonderful people, to serve the community and really impact the quality life of a broader scope,” he said. “This new leadership challenge has been a longterm goal of mine as an educational leader, to serve as a superintendent, and I do mean to serve others and serve students as well as adults.”

Although Watts doesn’t officially start his new job until July 1, he has already begun the transition, learning as much he can about the district. He attended the district’s Technology Expo on April 30.

“My goals are, first and foremost, to look, to listen and to learn everything that I can to ensure that my transition is smooth and is informed,” he said, “so that when I am official, I’ll be able to, not only begin supporting the strategic plan, supporting the leadership that occurs at all of our schools and also serving our board of directors and supporting their work, but I’ll be able to do that in a much more effective way. So my goal right now is simply to look, listen and to learn before I lead.”

Watts said he believes learning about the district before taking over will make for a successful transition.

“One challenge is simply not knowing what you don’t know, and that is the reason why I am a firm believer that before I make any decisions or recommendations, that I am going to become as informed as possible,” he said. “So when I’m looking, I’m seeing thousands of individuals. When I’m talking to people I’m learning about what their needs are, what concerns and questions or commendations they have about the district, and what I learn from that will allow me to lead more effectively.”

Watts said he hopes to build upon what already exists in the district and community.

“I first want to build relationships with our students, our staff, our parents, our leaders and our community members,” he said. “Secondly, I want to build connections and bridges with the broader community, with our faith-based organizations, our civic organizations, our business organizations and the broader community at large. And third, I want to build upon the successes and the rich traditions that have certainly shown up each and every day in the Kent School District.”

The district serves more than 70 square miles of South King County, including the cities of Kent and Covington, and portions of Auburn, Black Diamond, Maple Valley, Renton and SeaTac. It is one of the most diverse districts in the state with more than 130 languages spoken by its students and families.